


Cherubi's Story

by Alablast



Series: Sara's Story [3]
Category: Pokemon
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-28
Updated: 2018-03-17
Packaged: 2019-02-08 02:55:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12855219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alablast/pseuds/Alablast
Summary: The events of this first chapter happens shortly before the main events of Opal's story, in the time before Sara and Opal complete their training.





	1. Cherubi's Story - Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The events of this first chapter happens shortly before the main events of Opal's story, in the time before Sara and Opal complete their training.

                My name, before I had one, was Cherubi.  Just Cherubi.  It was the only name I needed.  For the longest time I was the only Cherubi I knew.  And for the most part I was fine with that – I had the sun, I had plenty of soft dirt to sink into, and I had plenty of space to call my own.

                But when a flock of Spearows moved in, I immediately wished I knew some other Cherubi that could help me fight them off.  Instead, the only option was to run.  Well… maybe not _run_ …

                “Cher…” I took another hop up the hill, panting.  “Rub…”  Another hop, and a little bit more of a rest.  “Iii…”  Another hop, and then I just collapsed into the dirt, exhausted.  The countless hours of running were taking their toll… but after a few minutes of rest I got back up and started hopping up the hill.  I couldn’t stop.  I could hear the birds calling to each other- mostly the Spearow, and every once in a while the sound of a Hoothoot who had woken up early.  One of the Spearow had cornered me earlier, had tried plucking off my bulb, and it had _hurt_.  I had managed to escape, my Tackle driving it into a tree and giving me time to run for cover, but now I wasn’t sure what to do.  Each bird call just increased my fear, and I was tired from running, and I was lost.  I had run in random directions to make sure the Spearow hadn’t been following me- the last thing I needed was to wake up tomorrow morning to find the Spearow looking for me- but now I couldn’t remember where I had gone.  I knew I had gone down a hill at some point, because I had tripped and rolled down it, landing painfully on a side that _still_ hurt, but I wasn’t sure if it had been this hill or not.

                I really hoped it was this one.  I wanted more than anything to be back home, to sit under the sun and just soak up its warm light, to stop running… and then there was the sound of a Spearow, and I cringed, standing up and taking another short hop forward again.  Maybe this was it.  Maybe I would get to the top of the hill and finally find something I recognized…

 

                Several exhausting hops later I reached the top, and I looked down onto the other side, and the scenery beyond it.  My stomach sank as I realized that I recognized none of it.  The lake in the distance looked familiar at first glance, but looking closer at it I spotted enough odd little differences in the shoreline that didn’t fit with the lake I remembered.  None of the trees seemed right, I didn’t recognize any of the prominent rocks, and I was sure I had never seen that stream before.  I almost started to cry- I was so tired, and scared, and my side hurt, and I had no idea where I was- but I held it together.  I had worked so hard to get up this hill; that was an accomplishment all by itself.  I certainly wasn’t going back the way I came after working so hard to get here, and I could still hear the birds squawking in the distance behind me, so I no choice but to keep going forward.  Maybe what I was looking at would seem more familiar when I was down there.  It’s not like I made a habit of climbing hills to look down at my neighborhood, after all; of course my home would seem unfamiliar from up here...

                With that thought held determinedly in my mind, and the sound of a Pidgey squawking somewhere in the distance, I started hopping down the hill… until a sharp pain blossomed in the back of my head, and everything went dark.

 

* * *

 

                “What is it?”  The Hoppip leaned forward to poke the sleeping Pokemon, but thought better of it at the last second, instead turning to look to her companion for advice.

                “I think… maybe it’s a Cherubi?  I’ve never seen one myself, but I’ve heard of them; one of the colonies south of us has one.  They say somewhere along the way it learned how to brighten the sunlight at times; it’s been a great help to them.”  The Skiploom pushed off the ground, gliding deftly to a point on the other side of the sleeping Pokemon.  “Poor thing looks exhausted.  She must have walked a long way to get here; I’ve never heard of one here before.”

                “Should we try and take her back with us?  She looks hurt; I don’t think anybody would mind if she stayed for a while?”

                The Skiploom hesitated as he thought about it.  “Welll… she doesn’t look _that_ heavy… we could probably carry her back between the two of us.  And I am a little curious where she came from.  Sure.  I’ll carry her for a little bit, and then we’ll switch off, until we get back home.  Just try and be gentle; if she’s sleeping out in the open like this, she must really need the sleep… ”

 

* * *

 

 

                I woke up gradually, a sense of warmth and light all around me.  Without even opening my eyes I smiled and leaned towards the light.  It felt _so_ nice… if only that aching on my head would go away, it would be _perfect_ …  “Cherrrrr.”

                I probably could have stayed like that for hours, but the sound of someone giggling startled me, and I jerked awake all at once, looking towards the sound.  A plant Pokemon I didn’t recognize sat next to me, a few fronds sprouting from its head and waving in the gentle breeze.  “Good morning, sleepy head!  How are you feeling?”

                “My… head hurts.”  I felt a soreness in the leaves growing from my head, as if one of them had been torn, or ripped off.  “Where am I?”

                “Oh!  You’re at our home.  We live in this valley, a whole group of us!  My father and I found you while we were out collecting berries.  You were just lying in the ground, and you looked hurt, so we brought you back here.”  The strange Pokemon nodded, and the motion lifted it off the ground for a second.  “Nobody’s ever seen a Pokemon like you before.  Daddy says you’re called a ‘Cherubi’?”

                “Yes… everybody calls me Cherubi… what… type of Pokemon are you?”  I looked over the young Pokemon again.  It was a pink thing with two leafy fronds sprouting from its head, and it seemed to barely touch the ground it rested on.

                “Oh- my name is Twirls; I’m a Hoppip.  There are about thirty of us that live here; it’s a perfect place for plant Pokemon!”  Twirls nodded again, floating back into the air.  The light-weight Pokemon seemed like it would fly off at the slightest excuse, and it was almost enough to make me forget about the pain coming from my leaves.

                Almost.

                “Could… am I okay?  I’m not sure what… but my leaves _really_ hurt.  Is there a pool, or a stream nearby?  Something I could check my reflection in? ”  Twirls turned away, but I caught a flicker of something before she turned away.  “Um… okay.  Follow me.”

                The Hoppip set off across the grassy field, hopping in long, drifting strides.  I followed after her as best as I could, but my short hops fell far short of her graceful leaps.  As we ‘walked’ I looked around and took in the sights.  The land was a little hilly, but they were gentle, rolling hills, covered with grass and flowers.  Here and there bugs floated from daffodils, to marigolds, to lilies, and short trees swayed gently in the light breeze.  It was easy to see why the Hoppip had decided to live here- I could imagine just leaning against a tree and falling asleep for hours in the warm sunlight.

                Occasionally we passed another Hoppip or a Skiploom, and they called out greetings to Twirls or shot curious glances as we hopped by.  Twirls was so light on her feet that watching her was actually exciting.  She could drift for several lengths with just the slightest spring, and she would glide on the faintest of breezes.  It was neat to see, and almost made me forget about the pain coming from across my leaves.

                After a short time we came to a stream that stretched off into the distance.  The sound of it was a little relaxing- just a gentle babble as the water flowed on its way.  Twirls stopped shot, settling to the ground beside me, but I kept hopping towards the slow-moving water.  When I finally reached the edge I leaned forward to get a look at my leaves…

                I immediately stepped back from surprise at the reflection, horrified, and dug my feet into the ground a little before leaning forward again to be sure.  The berry that sprouted from my leaves was… gone.  The stem had been ripped off, the leaves ending in a jagged tear instead of the pink skin of a berry.  I had been so proud of it- it was the work of several months of life, of digging roots deep into the ground, of spreading my leaves and soaking up the warm sun- and just like that, it was gone, stolen by some hungry bird who couldn’t be bothered to find a berry off a tree.  The pain increased, as if now that I could see the wound I could truly understand how much it hurt.  If I ever ran into the bird that did this to me…

                I sighed as I sank lower into the ground.  If I ever ran into the bird that did this, I would run away.  No sense trying to fool myself about it.  I didn’t even know what had hit me; I wouldn’t stand a chance against it in a fight.

                Twirls seemed to realize something was wrong and hopped closer.  “What is it?  What’s wrong?”

                “I was attacked by a bird… it broke off my…”  I stopped, not sure how to explain it to the Hoppip.  “One of my leaves.  It hurts.”

                Twirls actually brightened a little at that.  “Oh!  Come with me; I know just who can help with that!”

                The Hoppip was already jumping away before I had a chance to say anything more.  I glanced back at the water one more time, cringing again at the tear in my leaves… then turned after Twirls and stated hopping after.

                We followed the widening stream for a ways before Twirls finally came to a stop.  “Here we are!  Kiriiiiiii!”  The Hoppip turned towards a large rock in the middle of what was now a small river and yelled at the top of her lungs.  Or at least, what I hoped was the top of her lungs; it was very loud.

                Nothing happened for several long moments… then the surface of the water broke as a brilliant serpent rose from the depths.  The creature seemed to stretch on as far as I could see into the river, with the sunlight creating rainbows as it bounced off the beautiful prismatic scales along its length.  The serpent stretched up above us and slithered up onto the rock, coiling up and glancing back at the shore.   Water fell from its scales and down the rock as it got comfortable, and when it spoke the ‘ears’ on the side of its head moved and sent more rivulets of water flowing down the rock.  “Hello, little Hoppip.  Can I help you?”

                The serpent’s voice was friendly and light, which took away some of my fear at seeing the large Pokemon before me.  Its voice was simply too kind to belong to something that would want to hurt me.  And Twirls seemed too relaxed around it for me to worry that much.  The Hoppip jumped into the air and floated over the river to land right on the serpent’s head, causing the huge creature to laugh as the frond-like leaf rubbed against its scales.

                Twirls glanced back at me with a smile.  “This is Kirii!  She’s a Milotic who lives in the river; she’s really nice and helps us out whenever somebody is hurt.  She’s really good at it! You’ll be feeling better in no time!”

                The serpent – the Milotic – lowered her head and dropped Twirls onto the rock before slipping back into the water and crossing over to the shore.  She only came part way out of the water, stopping when she was at about eye level at me.  “Oh, a Cherubi!  I haven’t seen one in these parts in the longest – are you hurt?”

                I nodded to the Milotic, tilting up and down to signal I was.  “My… um… my leaves; I was attacked by a Spearow, and…”

                Kirii rose further out of the water to look behind me.  “Oh… I see.  That does look bad.”  The Milotic made a thoughtful noise deep in her throat and glanced over at the Hoppip, then back at me.  “I can help a little, though… the ‘leaf’ will take time to grow back.”

                The Milotic began humming, and water started to flow upwards from the river.  It covered her scales, clinging to them and glittering in the sunlight.  She rose further out of the water, arching her back over me, and the water began to sprinkle downwards.  I was soon covered by it, but instead of flowing down into the ground beneath me it started to gather in a series of rings around me, with several around my torn leaves.  The pain immediately began to ease away, replaced by a sense of relief… and in mere seconds the pain was completely gone.

                I gasped in surprise at how quickly Kirii had healed my injury, and hopped closer to the water to check on my reflection.  The tear in my leaf was still noticeable, but instead of being a jagged rip it looked more like a smooth ‘end’ to the leaf, as if it had just grown that way instead of being torn apart.  There was still water flowing over my leaves, but it was slowing and starting to flow back into the river even as I watched.  I looked back up at the Milotic and hopped happily, feeling energized and so much better.  “That’s amazing – I feel great now; thank you!”

                The Milotic smiled at me as she sank back into the water.  “You’re welcome!  I’m happy to help.  It’s good to see the Hoppips and Skiplooms ‘branching out’ and bringing some other Pokemon into their colony; just let me know if you need anything.  But I’m sure your ‘leaf’ will be back to normal in just a few weeks with their help.”  Kirii swam back to the rock and slipped her head beneath Twirls… then flung her lightly over to the shore.  The Hoppip let out a happy ‘Wheeee!’ as she flew through the air to land next to me.

                I was a little too surprised to react as the Hoppip began jumping around me.  _Weeks_?  Would I be staying here this long?  I couldn’t; I had to get back to…

                Well… going back to my home wouldn’t be a good idea.  There wasn’t anything there to go back to, except for a berry or two I had planted, and the Spearows had probably eaten those.  Going back would just make me a target for them when my cherry did finally grow back, and I had no desire to go through the whole experience all over again.  Plus, it seemed like Kirii and Twirls were both just taking it for granted that I would be able to stay here, and it didn’t seem like I would get in the way of much…  I could always find new berries to plant here, and help take care of them while I grew back my own cherry.  It could work… though I felt like I should probably discuss it with somebody a little more ‘in charge’ than Twirls, just to make sure…

 

 

                In the end, the Skiplooms and Hoppips were all thrilled to have me stay – the thirty or so of them living in the colony all eagerly welcomed me into their home, and were soon competing amongst themselves to find the most unique berries to bring back to me for planting.  I grew to be friends with them all as the months passed, but most surprising was the friendship I grew to have with Kirii.  The Hoppips were all energetic and mildly nomadic – they were sociable enough, but they had very short attention spans compared to mine, and would fly off after a bit when they got bored.   But when they flew off to explore, I would stay near the riverside and tend to the berries… and Kirii would chat with me and help bring water to the thirsty plants.  I could tell she was happy to see them grow, and I learned that several of the Feebas I occasionally glimpsed swimming in the river were her children and grandchildren.

                Life with the Hoppip colony turned out to be much nicer than in my old home, and I eventually grew to actually be happy the Spearows had driven me out of my old home.  I grew lots of healthy berries, some of which we stored in a stash the Hoppips dug, and others which we planted in a steadily growing orchard of berry trees.  The months passed in idyllic happiness… until the storms came.

 

 

* * *

 

 

                Sara hummed to herself as she watched the rain-drenched landscape speed by.  The train ride was pleasant, but a little boring.  John and Kenth were fast asleep in a seat farther up the train, and another passenger was dosing off towards the back, but Sara was much too excited to sleep.  She turned from the window to look at the last passenger on the train, and smiled as she reached down to scratch her sleeping Umbreon’s head. 

                _I’m a_ real _trainer now!_   The thought went through her head once again, for what seemed the billionth time today.  Yes, technically she had become a trainer the moment she opened the present on her birthday, when she had called Opal to her side for the first time… but she knew she hadn’t _really_ been one then.  Everyone had watched her while they taught her to be a trainer- the class at the gym, the random visits by Clara.  She wanted and valued their advice- she didn’t want to make any mistakes with Opal, and she would never forget Perry’s suggestion to buy Opal a reward after their gym battle against Flen, or the joy the Soothe Bell had brought her Eevee- but at the same time it had been a reminder that she wasn’t a ‘true’ trainer yet.  Lots of people _had_ Pokemon- John had Kenth, Tiffany had a Mareep, even her dad worked with an Arcanine- but they weren’t _trainers_.

                She knew that even compared to the other kids who had Pokemon she hadn’t been as much of a trainer.  She had heard the other kids saying that – some of had been John’s fault, but a lot of people thought she had just had everything handed to her, and that she hadn’t actually done any of the work herself.  It was true to an extent – she had gotten Opal as a present instead of catching him, and while her Eevee had played a key part in driving off Pokemon that were attacking Jyrrian City, she had been very sick then and hadn’t been responsible for any of his actions, at least not beyond having inspired the strong sense of loyalty for her that had driven his actions.

                But from the first moment she saw Opal as an Umbreon she had started to be more of a trainer.  Together the two of them helped Flen with important jobs, starting with deliveries and carrying messages and moving all the way up to helping rebuild the gym.  During that time she had trained Opal, from running on the way home from the gym or having him help carry things to the practices she had with John and Tiffany.

                And yesterday… yesterday she had graduated from Flen’s class, and earned her first gym badge.  She had battled against and _beaten_ Todd and Feren.  Nobody could say she hadn’t earned that win- she suspected that Perry might be the type to hold back in certain situations, but she knew Todd wouldn’t pity her and would give his all in every match.  That brought her to two wins and one loss – though she hadn’t been there during the fight she would never forget how Opal had looked after his encounter with the Houndoom, and she considered that a loss on her part.  If she had been smarter, or done things differently, maybe he wouldn’t have been hurt like that.  She also didn’t count her battles with John – during her first one Kenth had been sick and weak, so that wasn’t fair, and everything after that had just been for practice.

                And finally, like real trainers, today Sara and John had set out for the next gym challenge.  Early this morning they had boarded the train for Twin Lakes Town… and since then they had just watched the scenery pass by.  Opal had slept through most of it – the nocturnal Pokemon had a lot of trouble staying awake in the day, and Sara tried to let him sleep when she could – and John and Kenth had joined him about an hour or so ago.  They were almost there though… maybe another two or three hours, and then they would be arriving, ready to set off on the gym challenge…


	2. Cherubi's Story - Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 of Cherubi's story.

                The first warning we had that something was wrong was a sudden chill. The day had started out so nice – the sun was shining, there were a few clouds in the sky to offer some pleasant shade, and a gentle breeze kept the temperature from getting too hot. I was working with Twirls and Kirii on one of our berry trees when the wind suddenly shifted. Kirii noticed it first and rose her head to look into the distance, squinting at something. I was about to ask her what was wrong when I felt the chill too – the wind from the new direction was _freezing_. It was a harsh change from the warm weather, and I couldn’t understand why it was so cold. The wind was coming from the far side of the mountain, but it had always been warm air that came from there – Kirii had told me there was a vast desert on that side of the mountain, and nothing but warm air came from that way.

                But this air was a type of cold I had never felt before. I was still trying to understand it when the chattering of teeth distracted me. I looked over and saw Twirls shivering beside the berry tree. “W-why did i-it get s-so cold-d-d?”

                “I don’t know… Kirii, what’s happening?” I looked back to the Milotic, but she was frowning and didn’t seem to hear my question. “Kirii? Is everythi-“

                “Look out!”

                The Milotic’s warning was only a bare instant before something struck my side. I heard a crackling sound, and the world turned white… then Kirii was there, coiling her body around both myself and Twirls. The sharp crack rose to a low roar of high winds, but we were protected from most of the chill by the serpent’s body. Above us was still nothing but a blanket of white that I couldn’t see through. I tried to understand what I was seeing but couldn’t make anything out. I was just about to ask Kirii what it was when Twirls spoke up.

                “Snow! It’s snowing!” Twirls started to hop up the Milotic’s side, but as soon as she poked her head above Kirii’s side I heard a sharp ‘thunk’. Something bright fell to the ground next to me as Twirls cried out and fell back into the protection of Kirii’s curls.

                “Not snow. Hail.” Kirii’s voice was barely audible over the wind roaring above us. I looked at Twirls to make sure she was okay, but got distracted by the glittering on the ground between us. It was what had hit the Hoppip earlier – a large chunk of ice, with jagged edges. I winced at the sight of it and waddled closer to Twirls to make sure she wasn’t too badly injured.

                Other than a slight bruise it looked like she was okay, but I could tell the chill was getting to her. It was getting to me, too, but it seemed to be even worse for her. I pushed her a little closer to Kirii, then leaned against her, trying to keep her between our body heat.

                The storm raged above us for what felt like forever... then it stopped. There was no lessening of the roaring - it was just all we could hear one moment, loud as ever, and then it was silent. Kirii shifted, rising upwards and revealing the world around us.

                Everywhere I looked there was nothing but ice. It wasn’t a blanket of snow, like I had imagined from stories I had heard; it was just jagged chunks of ice covering everything. The berry tree we had been working on was frozen over, with green leaves draped with icicles and branches straining under the extra weight. The river was flowing sluggishly, and large chunks of ice were noticeable floating along it. And Kirii…

                I gasped when I saw what had happened to Kirii. The Milotic had kept us safe from the hailstorm, but had clearly suffered from it. A thin layer of frost covered her scales, but I could spot scales dented and broken underneath it, along with a few tinges of red where the ice must have pierced her skin. Kirii noticed I was watching her and shook her head, giving a significant glance at Twirls. It was clear that she didn’t want to talk about her own injuries in front of the Hoppip, so I just nodded and turned back to the other grass type. I was about to ask how she felt when I heard a sound like bugs skittering across the ground near me. It started out quiet, barely noticeable, but in seconds it was almost as loud as the roaring hail.

                I started to hide behind Kirii again, fearing another flurry of hailstones… but this time the world went brown. Sand was suddenly _everywhere_ , all around me. I could feel it hitting me and bouncing off my skin, but it didn’t hurt nearly as much as the ice I had been hit with. I managed to curl enough of my leaves around to keep the sand from striking my eyes, and my skin was tough enough to handle the constant pinpricks of sand. It wasn’t pleasant, but I could deal with it, at least for now.

                Kirii started to coil up around us again… but I remembered how the hailstorm seemed to have hurt her. “No! Get in the water!”

                The Milotic seemed confused at first, looking from Twirls back to me and yelling to reach me over the hissing sand. “You can’t stay out in this!”

                “It’s not as bad as the hail – I’ll be okay! I’ll get Twirls to one of our berry stashes; she’ll be out of it then.” Another thought suddenly occurred to me, and I felt a chill almost as bad as the earlier hailstorm. “And the rest of the Hoppips will need help too, if they were caught out in the hail! I can help them!”

                Kirii hesitated a little longer… then she nodded and turned back to the river. “Good luck! I’ll see if I can do something to help!”

                I wasn’t sure what the Milotic meant, but before I could ask she started slithering back towards the river. The sandstorm must have been worse than I had thought – despite her size, she was completely invisible in the storm in mere seconds.

                I waddled closer to Twirls and yelled over the sandstorm. “Come on! Let’s get you to one of our berry stashes – they’re deep enough to keep you out of the storm!”

                Twirls was huddling down towards the ground, but she looked up enough to nod back at me. “I can’t see! Which way is it?”

                “This way! Follow my voice!” I took a few steps away from the Hoppip, headed towards the closest stash I could remember, and shouted again. “Can you hear me?”

                “I can! Coming!” Twirls gave a half-hop towards me, and I shouted back in encouragement.

                It took a while, but I finally managed to get Twirls out of the sandstorm. The stash was half buried by sand, and a Skiploom was already there – he had made it during the hailstorm, but was still in bad shape – but the two huddled close together to keep warm.

                I went back out into the sandstorm. I shouted at the top of my lungs every few steps, trying to find anyone else that was still stuck in the storm. It was painful and slow – I could barely see anything, and the sand kept pelting me. I _did_ manage to find Hoppips that had been caught out in the open, though. It felt like hours, but I guided three freezing Hoppips back to the stash to huddle next to Twirls and the Skiploom. Even though the sand was hurting, I felt better each time I went out to look for another Hoppip.

                But it was while I was searching for a fourth Hoppip that the sandstorm stopped. It was just the way the hailstorm had ended – one moment, the loud hissing was everywhere; the next, it was gone. The sand stopped pelting me and I could see again. I thought I would have a few minutes at least, like before, and I started to look around in case I could spot anyone that might be hurt…

                The chill came back immediately, and I barely managed to huddle next to a tree before the air was filled with flying ice. The hail _hurt_ , and without Kirii there was nothing to stop the shards from striking me. The tree offered protection from the worst of it, but I wasn’t sure how long I could handle being pummeled by the freezing…

                Just as quickly as it started, the hail stopped. I looked around the tree nervously, expecting the sandstorm to begin once more… but instead, a cool rain began to fall from the sky.

                Something had gone _very_ wrong with the weather.

                I couldn’t worry about that right now though. The rain was the best chance to find any other hurt Hoppips or Skiplooms, and I had to help them get to safety before the sandstorm came back - or even worse, the hail.

* * *

                “What do you mean, you can’t find them? There should be two rooms for us; we had them called in before we left!” Sara brought her bag up to the counter and started digging through it to find the papers with her notes on them. “Everything was supposed to be taken care of; we walked all the way here from the train station _because_ of those reservations!”

                On the other side of the counter the hotel clerk grimaced and looked back at his computer screen. “I’m sorry, miss, but they just aren’t in here. They may have expired; we did have two rooms booked that were never claimed, but that was for last weekend.”

                Sara paused with her hand buried in her purse and glared back up at the clerk. “But it took us all week to get here! The trains were all cancelled, and the only explanation we had was for snow - _snow_ , at this time of year! We only just managed to get in on the train with the relief supplies, and had to go through _that_ to make it here.” Sara turned back to the doors of the hotel to gesture at the deluge of rain just outside. “My clothes are soaked, and my Umbreon is going to catch cold - we _called_ and told you we would need the reservations moved, and were told everything would be okay!”

                The clerk looked apologetic again as he looked away from his screen. “I understand, but I don’t have a record of a call, and there aren’t any rooms reserved for you. We _do_ have rooms available, and I can get you one, but they aren’t paid for…”

                “Ugh.” Sara shot the clerk another angry look before digging in her purse again, finding her wallet and pulling out her trainer card. It had money on it - her parents and Flen had both given her money for the journey - but it didn’t have that much, and she didn’t want to use it all up at the first town with a gym. A hotel would be a decent chunk of her money… but it would be better than the basic rooms at the PokeCenter, if it was even open, and it would mean not having to go back out into the pouring rain.

                The clerk smiled and took her card, looking over the details before punching some numbers in his computer.

                Sara tapped her foot impatiently, ignoring the squelch sound made by the waterlogged sandals… until she heard the sound of rain grow suddenly louder.

                “Lithe!”

                The Growlithe’s bark was the only warning Sara had. She was still glancing back at the doors to see what was going on when she spotted Kenth - John’s Growlithe - start shaking off on the welcome mat. Water went flying _everywhere_ , and just added to the drenched mess that was Sara’s clothes and hair. Even Opal, who had just been sitting politely on the floor by the counter before then, shot a glare back at the fire puppy after being splashed by him and replied with an unamused “bre.”

                “Kenth, no! Wait there; I’ll dry you off with a towel when we get to the room.” John stepped around the Growlithe and walked up to Sara. “Sorry about that. You know he hates being wet.”

                “We all do.” Sara turned back to the clerk, who was still typing numbers into the keyboard. “I can’t believe it’s been like this for over a week here. The streets were flooded; how was the gym? You’re back fast; did you beat the leader?”

                John sighed and shook his head. “The gym was mostly dry, but no - he wouldn’t fight me! Said I didn’t have enough Pokemon to even start the match; this gym only does double battles, so unless you have two Pokemon you can’t even bring a challenge!”

                Sara blinked as she looked back out at the storm. “You’re _kidding_. You mean we came all the way out here, got absolutely soaked, and we can’t even _try_ to get the badges from here?” Opal shifted nervously and stepped a little closer to his trainer, picking up on the anger coming from her. “That… this…”

                “Miss, you’re all set - room 215 and 216.” The clerk finished typing on the computer and held up two packets with key cards in them, along with Sara’s trainer card.

                “Ugh! Come on, Opal, let’s go.” Sara glared and grabbed the cards, then stomped off towards the elevators, wet sandals squeaking with every step on the tile floor.

* * *

                I don’t know how long the rain lasted. It’s hard to keep track of time without being able to see the sun. When all you can see in the sky are dark clouds dumping rain on you, it’s easy to lose track of if it’s day or night. You might have an idea of how long you’ve been doing something while you’re awake, but that ends when you go to sleep. When you wake up you have no idea how long it’s been – it could still be the same day, or the next night, or just a few minutes later. It’s not so bad when there’s somebody else there with you, and for a while the company of the Hoppips and Skiplooms helped a lot.

                But by what we thought was the fifth day of constant rain, the Hoppips and Skiplooms couldn’t handle any more. They had all been injured in the blizzard, and the complete lack of sunlight was taking its toll. The rain _did_ let up occasionally, after many long stretches of time... but it was only replaced by either the blizzard or the sandstorm. Those were always brief, as if the rain was stopping just to let us know there was something even worse waiting, and any ice or sand was quickly washed away by the renewed downpour. The berries we had stored up helped with some of the worst injuries, and helped us keep some of our energy even without light… but with the entire colony relying on nothing but them, the berries went fast. The Skiplooms realized the danger first and started skipping meals, but it didn’t make much of a difference. We stayed huddled together in the burrows to save energy and keep warm despite the rain, but the Hoppips started showing signs of distress despite that. When they moved they were less coordinated, often bumping into each other, and their leaves drooped more and more. And no matter how much we all wished for it to stop, the rain kept falling, and the clouds blotted out the sun. The ground around us began flooding, and wherever we looked the plants were wilting and drowning.

                It was impossible to tell through the rain covering them... but I was certain Twirls’ father was crying on the fifth day when he told me they had to leave. He left to tell Kirii, too… but he came back much later to tell us he had been unable to find the Milotic.

                I knew the Hoppip couldn’t stay. I knew they were starving without sunlight. And I knew every one of them felt horrible about the decision. But watching them fly into the distance and leave me behind felt as painful as when my cherry had been ripped from my head.

                The Skiplooms had said they would try and come back if the weather cleared… but with the constant rainfall and the dreary sky, it was very hard to feel hopeful.

                So after the fifth day time passed. But I wasn’t sure how much. I had three berries left… then two… then only one… and then there was nothing to do but grow weaker as the floods and rain continued. My leaves wanted, _needed_ light so badly that it was a physical hurt inside them. But the sun remained hidden - when the rain stopped, it was just replaced by the blizzard. Even the sandstorms seemed to have stopped, which meant there was nothing but the constant cold. And without anybody else to huddle next to for warmth, the chill soaked me just as thoroughly as the rain. I slept and waited in the relatively warmer shade of a dying tree with nothing but the formless clouds above me to stare at as the hours and days continued to blend together…

                I drifted out of a strange half-sleep as I felt something unfamiliar on my face. It took me a moment to wake up enough and realize what it was… and then my eyes flew open with sudden surprise. _Light!_

                The clouds above me were still dark and gloomy, and rain was still falling all around me… but a tiny gap in the clouds directly above me was letting sunlight reach me.

                I relaxed and closed my eyes, spreading my leaves and eagerly soaking up the warm sunlight. The light filled me with energy and hope. This was a good sign - the strange weather must finally be ending, which would mean the sunlight would soon be back in full. The clouds would go away, the ground would dry up, the grass and berries would start growing once more, the Hoppips and Skiplooms would come back, and this stretch of weird weather would just be a bad memory…

                The darkness and rain crept back over me while I was still thinking, as if it had felt my hope and had rushed to drown it. I opened my eyes back up to see what had happened, though I knew in the back of my mind the clouds had just come back together. Up above me the unending stream of rain fell downwards, just as I had expected… but the break in the clouds was still there. I looked downwards and saw it had just moved to my left, past several drooping trees. The bright spot stayed where it was as I stared at it, and though it wavered a little around the edges it stayed right where it was. Several long moments passed before I decided it was worth moving after it instead of staying in the rain.

                I tried to get up… and it was then that I realized just how weak I really was. I managed a half-wobble that only managed to tip me forward and land me face first in the mud. I lay there for another long minute before finally pulling together the strength to roll on my side and get back up on my feet. The pouring water quickly washed away any mud that had gotten on me while I rested. I sat there in the cold rain and gathered my strength, staring at the patch of sunlight that seemed so far away, until I finally felt safe moving.

                This time things went a little better. I slipped a little when I hopped, but I landed upright and kept my leaves out of the muck. The sight of the sunlight ahead of me filled me with more energy and I hopped forward again, then another time, then another…

                Each hop grew more and more difficult, and I slipped three more times on the way, but eventually I landed in the beam of sunlight. Warmth flowed through me, every part of my body feeling alive again. I lifted my leaves and spread them, soaking up the delicious sun…

                I let out a sound somewhere between a yell and a sob when the sunlight vanished and I was caught in the downpour again. “ _No!_ ” I started to look up at the sky in search of more light but stopped when I saw another bright patch of ground just a few dying trees away. I felt weak, _so_ weak, but the light was _right there_ …

                This time felt like it took forever, but I finally broke through the curtain of rain and felt the sun dance over me…

                ...only to just as quickly be replaced by the rain. I was watching for it this time and saw the light move. It flowed across the muddy ground, weaving and dancing away from me. I grimaced but jumped forward again, chasing after it.

                The light paused a bit away from me while I gathered myself for another hop… but before I could land again it started moving once more, drifting almost as far away as I had jumped. I growled lightly and hopped again, half-slipping as I landed and immediately lept once more. I was so tired, so cold, so drained, and I _needed_ that light!

                I slipped on the next landing and skidded into a tree. The bark was wet and moldy but was still plenty hard enough to knock the wind out of me. I lay there in the mud, too hurt and tired to move, and certain some of the water beneath me was my own tears. The rain continued on without concern, and the sunlight waited just beyond my reach, mocking me.

                I wasn’t sure what I expected when I sobbed to the sky and begged to it. “ _Please…_ please, stay still, I need that light… ”

                The sound of the falling rain continued just as loud as ever. Thunder bellowed in the distance. I didn’t expect to hear anything else… but I thought I heard something whispering under the rain, a melodic sound that could have almost been the wind.

                “I’m so sorry Sonata… but it’s just a little bit further, and then you can rest in the sun for as long as you need.”

                I looked around, but all I could see was rain and the patch of light. Maybe it had just been the wind, and my tired imagination… I didn’t know a ‘Sonata’ anyways, so it must have just been my mind playing tricks on me.

                The light before me _was_ real, though. I gathered myself back up and jumped again, wobbling when I landed but springing off the muddy ground anyways. The light was closer… and then it moved again. I grit my teeth and jumped again, following the light, and again, and again, through the trees, through the rain, through the cold, through the darkness, closing my eyes and jumping, jumping, jumping…

                I felt something hit me on the head… then everything went dark. A different darkness, somehow even darker than the cloud covered world before. It was dry, and warmer, and… pink?

                Something was wrong… but it was dry, and warm. After so much time in the rain, even if there wasn’t any sunlight, this was so much better. I collapsed, just letting go and stopping the struggle, relaxing as much as I could.

                It was dark for another long moment… then I _felt_ a chime resonate through my body.

                Light was suddenly all around me. The sky was bright, without a cloud anywhere. The grass was healthy and green, the trees were strong and tall, the flowers were in full bloom.

                I didn’t understand any of this. Where the rain had gone, why everything was healthy again, why there was so much sun…

                But.. I didn’t care. I fell face first into the warm, soft soil and spread my leaves to take in all the warm sun as I slowly drifted off to sleep…

* * *

                “This still feels wrong.” Sara shook her head, the umbrella tilting as she did so, rain pouring off it.

                “Oh, come on, it’ll just take an hour, maybe two at the most.”

                “That’s not the point! I don’t feel right just getting some random Pokemon for no other reason than a single fight. Pokemon aren’t just tools to pick up and throw away when you need one; I’m a better trainer than that. _We’re_ better trainers than that.”

                John sighed. “You’re being ridiculous. You can’t do the entire gym challenge with just Opal; you’ll need to get another Pokemon. And that means going out and catching some. How do you think Flen got his team? You think he just held out a Pokeball and asked them to hop in?”

                Sara rolled her eyes. “I’m not stupid, I know I’ll have to get more Pokemon. But I’m not going to just grab whatever random ‘mon jumps out at me and drag it along. My team is going to mean more to me than that; they’re going to be my friends, too.” Sara grabbed an empty Pokeball from her bag and held it out to her side, away from the umbrella. “If that means I don’t go running around beating up wild Pokemon, but instead ‘hold out a Pokeball and ask them to hop in’, then that’s fine by...” Sara trailed off as the sound of rain on her umbrella suddenly cut off.

                “Breee!” Sara looked down at Opal’s cry, and the world around her lit up with sunlight, a tiny ring of light surrounding her and John. Opal was looking around in surprise, and she tried to find what he was looking for… when she heard a thunk, click, and finally a chime come from the Pokeball.

                “No way.” John stared at Sara in surprise. “That… no way.”

                “What?! What just happened?” Sara looked around, confused, then at the Pokeball she had been holding out to her side. There was a red light fading from it- the sign it had just captured a Pokemon.


End file.
